A Reversal of Fortunes
by EdwardO
Summary: A strange world indeed! Harry finds himself on the wrong side.


A Reversal of Fortunes

Reginald Tiberius Livingston III. A respectable sounding name attached to a less than respectable wizard. The Ministry considered him one of the most wanted wizards in England. Reginald, brimming with self importance, saw it as a great honor to make the top ten on the wanted list. He felt that it was a testament to the artistry he displayed in carrying out his crimes. After all, no one had ever stolen so many magical objects directly out of the Ministry before. He didn't doubt that the Minister wanted him stopped. Many of the objects he stole were a mystery even to those in the Department of Mysteries, but he didn't let that stop him. Some wizards would pay good money for a chunk of cold metal if there was a chance it held powerful magic. Reginald didn't see any reason why he shouldn't profit from it.

Apparently the Minister of Magic didn't share his reasoning. That was why he had put two of his best aurors on Reginald's trail. Reginald never would have believed they would find him within a week, but he didn't have time to think about how they had found him.

"Give it up, Livingston," Harry said as he stood in the middle of Diagon Alley with his wand trained on the crates Reginald was hiding behind. "We've got you covered. There's no way out."

Reginald wasn't ready to concede that there was no way for him to escape. Granted, Potter had cast an anti- disapparation spell, so he couldn't go that way. Weasley had blasted the wand from his hand and it lay in pieces beside him, so fighting his way out was unlikely. They had already stripped away his disguise, so pleading a case of mistaken identity wasn't going to work either.

"Come on, Reggie," Ron said as he and Harry worked their way closer to the crates where Reginald was hiding. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

Reginald could hear their footsteps coming closer as he looked around frantically hoping to find an open doorway to make a run for. Shifting his weight to look behind him he felt the lump in his coat pocket. Taking it out, he wondered why he hadn't thought of it sooner. He already had a buyer lined up for the mysterious portkey the Ministry had gone to such lengths to protect, but he didn't think his buyer would mind if he used it to insure a safe, and auror free, delivery.

Just as Reginald took out the wooden box, Harry appeared and shot a spell that wrenched the box from his hand. Reginald watched as the little box flew away from him and hit the ground near Harry. The lid popped open and a coin rolled out, glowing a very Slytherin shade of green. The coin rolled in a wide arc before rolling back toward Harry. Reginald lunged for the coin, but Ron stunned him before he got near it. Harry placed a binding spell on Livingston as soon as he hit the ground, but failed to notice as the coin stopped beside his foot and seemed to balance on its edge momentarily. Ron started to yell out a warning to Harry just as the glowing coin fell over onto Harry's foot.

It wasn't an ordinary portkey. Harry knew that right away. Instead of the familiar tug behind the navel he felt as if his entire body were being torn apart and reassembled again. It didn't last for more than a few seconds, but to Harry it seemed like an eternity. Harry's feet hit solid ground, and he stumbled backwards a few steps as screams rang out around him. Looking around Harry could see that he was still in Diagon Alley. He didn't know why so many people were screaming as they ran for the safety of the shops. Harry surveyed the street, but couldn't see any danger nearby. Harry turned and walked further down the street and noticed as he did that terrified people were looking out of the shop windows at him even as more fled further up the street.

Harry heard two pops behind him and turned to see the new arrivals. As he did his jaw dropped. By reflex alone his wand sprang into action to defend against the spells the two had shot at him. Soon after, he had to defend himself once again. Harry noticed that they were working together in a standard auror capture technique. Harry knew it well and had no trouble keeping them from successfully closing the trap.

"Give it up, Potter," Draco said as he tried another spell that Harry countered easily.

"I might be willing to if I knew what was going on," Harry replied.

"I doubt that, Potter," Ron said as he shot a hex at Harry that was countered easily again. "I don't know how you got out, but I doubt you'll go back willingly."

"Go back where?" Harry asked as he defended against a simultaneous attack.

"Back where you belong, Potter," Draco said. "Azkaban."

"Azkaban?" Harry asked in horror.

"It couldn't have been that bad, Potter," Ron said. "After all, all of your death eater friends were there with you."

"This is crazy, Ron," Harry said as he blocked another spell and sent one of his own off to keep Draco from maneuvering to his flank. "I'm not a…"

Multiple pops rang out all around Harry as more aurors arrived and Harry knew his chance for understanding what was happening had temporarily slipped away. He knew he only had seconds to act before an anti-disapparition spell was cast over the area. Harry turned on the spot and disappeared with a pop.

Harry reappeared in Godric's Hollow with his wand at the ready, but he was alone in the street. Lowering his wand Harry turned to look at his house. His confusion only deepened as he saw not the house he had built on the spot of his parents old house, but his parents house. It looked dark and neglected, but as whole as it had ever been. It was as if there had never been a fire that burned it to the ground. Harry felt his forehead and was, for once, relieved to find his scar where it had always been. At the moment it was the only thing that made any sense.

Harry had taken no more than two steps toward the front gate when pops once again rang out around him. A quick glance around was all it took for Harry to see the wand tips raising against him. Again, he disapparated.

Harry took small comfort that the shrieking shack was the same as he remembered. He wasted no time in seeking the entrance to the passage that led to the whomping willow. By the time he made it to the base of the great tree, darkness was setting in across the Hogwarts grounds. It provided a good cover for him as he ran toward the castle. He wasn't sure why he needed cover, but given recent events it seemed prudent. He paused momentarily as he spied the warm glow of light spilling from the windows in Hagrid's hut. He wondered if Hagrid wouldn't be a better person to get the truth out of, but he realized that Hagrid would also be unable to hide his presence if anyone asked him about it. With regret he turned again toward the castle. Knowing it could be dangerous to walk the halls openly, and not having his invisibility cloak with him, Harry levitated himself toward the window of the Headmaster's office.

It was half an hour later before the door opened and the Headmaster walked in. Almost immediately the portraits started to try to warn her to of an intruder.

"Professor McGonagall," Harry said as he stepped out of a concealing shadow in the corner of the room.

McGonagall spun around with wide eyes at the sound of Harry's voice and said, "Harry Potter. How did you get in here?"

"Forgive me, Professor," Harry said as he noticed how uneasy McGonagall looked. "I levitated myself through your window. I had to see you. I didn't know where else to turn."

"I don't understand," McGonagall said.

"That makes two of us," Harry said. "I don't understand anything that is happening to me."

"I'm not likely to answer any questions at wand point," McGonagall said as Harry realized he was still clutching his wand at his side.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Harry said as he stepped closer to her. "My nerves are still a bit on edge. I wasn't thinking."

Harry stepped close to McGonagall and held his wand out to her. She looked questioningly at the way he was offering his wand to her and considered what trick he might be trying to play. Slowly she reached out and took hold of the wand, and he allowed her to lift it from his hands. Looking at his wand carefully she was surprised to recognize the phoenix wand he had used as a student. Looking back up to his face she caught sight of his forehead and reached out to move the hair out of the way. Her eyes went wide as she quickly removed her hand and stepped back away from him.

"Even you're afraid of me," Harry commented. "Why is everyone so afraid of me all of a sudden? Why is my parents house still standing? Since when is Draco Malfoy an auror? I don't understand any of it."

"You really don't remember?" McGonagall said as she crossed to behind her desk. "Most of us would rather forget."

"Oh, I remember everything," Harry said as he took a seat in the lone chair in front of her desk. "Everything has just gotten so messed up since I was in Diagon Alley today. Its like the entire world suddenly turned upside down or something."

"Tell me," McGonagall said.

Harry took the next few minutes to relate everything about what had happened to him from the time he and Ron had cornered Livingston in Diagon Alley. During that time she sat at her desk and considered his tale. When he finished, she exhaled slowly.

"You say that you are an auror and partnered with Ron Weasley?" McGonagall asked.

"Of course," Harry replied. "We haven't been separated since we were both sorted into Gryffindor."

"I see," McGonagall said. "What was wrong with the house in Godric's Hollow?"

"I had a house rebuilt there," Harry replied, "but it doesn't look anything like my parents house did before the fire. That house looks exactly like my parent's house before Voldemort killed them."

"Killed your parents?" McGonagall asked as if he had just insulted her. "Mr. Potter, I haven't the slightest idea why you remember things the way you do, but I can assure you that your parents are not dead. They're in Azkaban, and until today you were as well."

"I tell you that isn't possible," Harry pleaded. "Voldemort killed my parents when I was a baby. He gave me this scar on my forehead when he did it. The only time I've ever been to Azkaban was to deliver a prisoner there."

"Have you truly lost your mind?" McGonagall asked.

"I'm beginning to think so," Harry said. "Why would you tell me that my parents were in Azkaban?"

"Because I testified at the trial that sent them there," McGonagall said.

"What?" Harry asked. "Why?"

"Because they were death eaters," McGonagall said. "So were you."

"That's crazy!" Harry shouted. "I'm an auror! Voldemort killed my parents, and I killed him in my final year here!"

"No, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said. "It was Draco Malfoy's parents that Voldemort killed. He was the one who killed Voldemort in that terrible battle."

"That isn't true though," Harry pleaded. "Draco and his parents were the death eaters."

"You really have lost your mind," McGonagall said softly. "You're transferring Draco's life onto your own. Maybe you're doing it out of guilt, or maybe Azkaban has done this to you."

"This is a nightmare." Harry said becoming increasingly frustrated. "Dumbledore would believe me."

McGonagall watched Harry begin surveying the portraits of the past Headmasters, and she asked, "Do you mean Albus Dumbledore?"

"Yes, of course," Harry said unable to find Dumbledore's portrait.

"Mr. Potter, Albus Dumbledore was killed before you were born," McGonagall informed him. "He was the one who recruited Tom Riddle to attend Hogwarts. He saw the young Tom as the key to his quest for power over the non-purebloods. Albus Dumbledore was the one who created the death eaters in the first place. Voldemort killed him early in his first rise to power."

"I will never believe that," Harry said as he stood and began to pace. "Albus Dumbledore was my mentor. He was one of the greatest Headmasters Hogwarts has ever known. He was the only wizard Voldemort ever feared. I wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for him."

"I don't see any way to reconcile the reality of what happened with this fantasy you've created in your own mind," McGonagall said.

"Perhaps we shouldn't discount the possibility that both realities are true," Snape suggested from a portrait on the wall.

"How can that be possible, Severus?" McGonagall asked.

"Both of you have complete faith in the memories you hold," Snape said. "I personally remember things the same way you do, Minerva. However, unless Mr. Potter has improved upon his acting abilities, he remembers things differently. That would tend to suggest that someone may have tampered with his memories to create such an elaborate distortion."

"Did Voldemort kill you, Professor Snape?" Harry asked.

"No, Mr. Potter," Snape replied. "Your father did."

"Who could have done this to him?" McGonagall asked. "Perhaps more importantly, why would they do it?"

"Only someone from the Ministry could have done it," Snape said. "No one else would have had access to him in Azkaban."

"Or perhaps both of you are wrong," Phineas said from his portrait. "Maybe no person did it at all. Maybe it was this mysterious portkey Mr. Potter mentioned earlier. The possibility exists that it wasn't a portkey at all. Perhaps the strange sensation he experienced when it touched him scrambled his memories."

"Then where did the portkey come from?" Professor Dippet asked. "Perhaps it was a portkey after all. That could be how he got out of Azkaban. Someone might have smuggled it in to him."

"You have got to be joking," Harry pointed out. "You think someone smuggled a portkey to me on purpose that would screw me up this bad?"

"An ordinary portkey wouldn't have worked in Azkaban," Snape said. "Your memory problem may be a side effect of a modified portkey."

"I think it's more likely that the portkey knocked me out," Harry said as he sat back down. "I'm probably unconscious in a bed at St. Mungo's right now and having a really terrible dream."

"So now you're suggesting that we are all a figment of your imagination?" McGonagall asked. "I think you need to consider the fact that you are the only one who holds the memories you have. The memories I have are shared by everyone here. They're shared by the aurors who tried to capture you earlier this evening. You find yourself vastly in the minority, Mr. Potter."

"I came here tonight in hopes you could help me make sense of this mess," Harry said. "Maybe I should have tried to find Hermione. She was always so much better at sorting these things out than I was."

McGonagall sat back in her chair with a strange look on her face. The look told Harry that she was greatly disturbed by the fact that he had mentioned Hermione's name. He waited, but she didn't explain.

"Don't tell me," Harry said. "Hermione is a death eater too I suppose. If you tell me that then I'll know this is all rubbish. I don't care how many of you there are who believe it."

"No, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, the strange look still present on her face. "Miss Granger was certainly no death eater."

"Then why that look on your face when I mentioned her name?" Harry asked.

"She's dead, Mr. Potter," Snape supplied as he watched Harry carefully.

Harry stared back at him in shock and said, "That can't be. I had dinner with her just the other night. She and Ron told me they were expecting another baby. You're lying."

"Curious," Phineas observed. "We've already seen how he transfers aspects of others lives onto himself as he does with Mr. Malfoy, but to also create such elaborate fantasies outside of actual events is evidence of a severe psychosis."

"I am not crazy," Harry demanded.

"Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley never had any children together," McGonagall said. "They were never even able to get married before…"

"I won't believe it," Harry said. "I know the truth even if you say it isn't."

"She's dead, Mr. Potter," Snape said. "You were the one who killed her."

Harry shot a nasty look at Snape as he stood and yelled, "That's impossible I tell you! She was my friend. She and Ron have been my best friends since we were sorted into Gryffindor."

"Draco Malfoy was sorted into Gryffindor," Phineas said. "You're just transferring that onto yourself. You were sorted into Slytherin."

"I'm not listening to you any more," Harry said. "Nothing you've told me is the truth. I don't know what's happening to me, but I won't give up on what I know to be true."

"Then tell me something, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said. "How is it that you came into possession of this wand. It looks like the wand you had while you were in school here, but that wand was destroyed."

"It was broken when Hermione and I were escaping from Voldemort's snake," Harry explained. "I repaired it later using the Elder wand."

"The Elder wand?" McGonagall asked. "Are you referring to one of the three deathly hallows?"

"Yes," Harry confirmed.

"You actually found one of the deathly hallows?" Snape asked.

"I had all three of them at one point," Harry confirmed. "I never had them together at the same time."

"Surely if you were ever in possession of a wand as powerful as the Elder wand you would want to use it," McGonagall said. "Why repair the phoenix wand and carry it instead?"

"Because the power of the Elder wand has to die when I do," Harry explained.

Suddenly, there was a flash from the fireplace and Draco Malfoy stepped out of it just before another flash saw Ron step into the office. They both had their wands drawn just in case, but Harry just sat there looking worn and sad.

"Sorry to barge in unannounced, Professor," Draco said as he kept his wand trained on Harry. "We weren't sure what the situation here might be."

"I've just been having a very unusual conversation with Mr. Potter," McGonagall said. "It seems his memories of past events are somewhat altered."

"Only from your perspective," Harry reminded her. "I think my memory is fully accurate."

"Is that so?" Ron asked. "I'd like to kick you in the head to see if it clears things up, but Draco says I have to wait for that."

"First of all," Draco began, "if you're the real Harry Potter then who is in your cell in Azkaban? We've already had a report from them that you're apparently still there."

"I have no idea who you might have locked up, but it was never me," Harry said. "This is all totally insane. I am not and never have been a criminal. I'm an auror for goodness sake."

"Insane is right," Ron said. "Do you think we'd ever let someone like you be an auror? Not after what you've done."

"He doesn't remember doing any of it," McGonagall said.

"What?" Ron asked getting angry. "Don't tell me that, Potter. You have to remember it. If I have to remember it then you do too!"

"Maybe I should tell you what he said to me before you got here," McGonagall suggested.

"I hope it will clear a few things up," Draco said.

"I doubt that," Harry remarked with a sad nod of his head. "I hoped talking would clear things up, but I'm more confused now than ever."

McGonagall explained everything they had discussed since Harry arrived. Draco listened carefully and considered everything thoughtfully. Ron listened and stared at Harry while tightening and then relaxing his grip on his wand over and over again.

Once McGonagall had finished, Ron said, "He's nutters."

"Perhaps he isn't the real Harry Potter," Professor Dippet proposed. "He may be an imposter."

"No," Draco said. "He's the real thing. That's how I knew where to find him. I checked the Marauders Map and he was here. The map would have identified an imposter."

"You have the Marauders Map?" Harry asked.

Draco pulled a folded map out of his pocket and held it up in front of Harry, and said, "Pretty ironic isn't it. I tracked you down with a map your dad made."

"Not nearly as ironic as the fact that I have one too," Harry said as he pulled his own map out. "I'd like to know where you got yours. Professor Lupin never mentioned there being another one."

"Professor who?" McGonagall asked.

"Lupin," Harry repeated. "Remus Lupin."

McGonagall looked quizzically at Harry for a moment before she said, "Young Mr. Lupin never even made it to graduation Mr. Potter. He disappeared in the middle of his second year, and he was never found. How do you even know anything about him?"

Harry shook his head as he laid the blank map out onto McGonagall's desk and said, "May I have my wand back now."

"Keep dreaming, Potter," Ron said.

"I just need it to activate the map," Harry said.

"Sure you do," Ron said with a grin. "Draco can activate it for you."

"Fine," Harry said as he took a couple of steps back.

Draco laid his own map out beside Harry's and pointed his wand at them and said, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

Everyone watched as the maps began to take shape and the title appeared at the top of both. Harry could see that Draco's was missing the "Moony". Draco unfolded his map to show everyone in the office labeled exactly where they stood. Upon unfolding Harry's he was fascinated to see that it showed McGonagall in the Great Hall instead of her office. The office didn't show any of them. He was just about to pronounce it a fake when he spotted the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. He saw that several Potters were there clustered very close to several more Weasleys. Along with them he saw someone named Scorpius Malfoy. On Draco's map his son Lucius was sitting in almost the exact spot at the Gryffindor table.

Draco turned to Harry and asked, "Who in the hell are you?"

"I could ask all of you the same thing," Harry said. "I'm still leaning toward the figment of my imagination theory."

"What is it, Draco?" Ron asked as he stepped forward to look at the maps. "I thought you said he was the real Harry Potter."

"I think he actually is," Draco said. "I'm just thinking he may not be the Harry Potter we all know."

"Wait," Ron said as he looked up from the maps. "Are you thinking that the one we know is a fake?"

"No, I think he's just as real as this one," Draco said as he spotted something and stepped toward Harry.

Draco brushed Harry's hair out of the way until the scar was visible. He looked at it for several seconds before raising his wand hand and brushing back his own hair to reveal an identical scar.

"The scar could be a fake," Ron suggested. "Everyone knows what it looks like."

"The map doesn't lie, Ron," Draco pointed out. "We can be fairly certain that this really is Harry Potter. That being the case, if he were going to fake a scar and make a fake copy of the Marauders Map then why doesn't it seem to work right? It doesn't even show him in this office. At the least it should do that or he never would have allowed us to know he had one."

"Are you suggesting that there are two of them?" Phineas asked.

"So it would seem," Draco replied. "If not then why would he even be here right now? If he somehow escaped from Azkaban then the middle of the street in Diagon Alley is surely the last place he would go. Then he went to his parents house. Surely he would have realized there were spells placed on the entire area that would warn the aurors if any of the Potters got anywhere near it. Then he came here. Why?"

"Because he's barking mad I would say," Ron suggested. "He's had years in Azkaban to plan all of this."

"I don't even think any of you are real," Harry said. "I certainly wouldn't plan this chaos on purpose."

"This will never be solved if everyone is not willing to concede the possibility that we are all real," Snape pointed out.

"Let me punch him in the face," Ron said. "I'll show him how real I am."

"If this were all real instead of some weird dream then there should at least be something in this place that makes sense," Harry said.

"Perhaps the glowing coin is the key," Draco said.

"We discussed the possibility that it was the portkey he used to escape from Azkaban," McGonagall informed them. "We thought perhaps it scrambled his memories."

"It didn't put that scar on his forehead," Draco said. "It didn't create a Marauders Map for him. It didn't help him improve his dueling skills. He defended against Ron and I easily when we tried to capture him in Diagon Alley. He had a counter for every move we made before we made it. He didn't learn that in Azkaban. Besides, the guards there have already confirmed that Harry is still in his cell. The Harry Potter I know would never be able to defend against my dueling attacks. I found that out when I captured him the first time."

"What are you trying to say?" Ron asked.

"Maybe he really is an auror," Draco said. "Maybe his entire story is true."

"How is that possible?" McGonagall asked. "Both realities can't be true."

"They can if that coin really was a portkey," Draco suggested. "We found it in Diagon Alley after Harry got away from us. We took it back to the Ministry and the guys from the Department of Mysteries were anxious to get their hands on it."

"I wouldn't advise it," Harry said. "It feels far worse than any portkey you may have used in the past."

"I meant that in a figurative sense," Draco explained.

"So where did he portkey from then?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Draco admitted. "Maybe a parallel timeline, or another dimension."

"That sounds just as crazy as he does," Ron said.

"Assuming any of that were true," McGonagall said, "what can be done about it? Can the coin be used again? Will it take him back where he came from?"

"I don't know," Draco said.

"What am I supposed to do until you figure it out?" Harry asked. "I can't very well walk into the Leaky Cauldron and ask for a room. Not as long as everyone associates my face with a criminal."

"I'm sure we can find a nice cell at the Ministry for you," Ron suggested.

"I'm sorry to say that Ron may be right," Draco said. "The Minister will have to be made aware of this situation. I'm sure he'll want to question you himself. I don't know how forthcoming the information about the coin will be from the Department of Mysteries. You may have to be a guest of the Ministry for a while."

"Oh terrific," Harry said sarcastically. "If spending the day here has been a nightmare I can't wait to see how bad the night will be. I don't suppose I get my wand back."

"Not a chance, Potter," Ron said as he tightened his grip on his own wand.

In the days that followed Harry spent a great deal of time pacing in his cell. The Ministry officials had indeed been very keen to interrogate him. They called in medical experts who ran cross checks with his blood samples against those of the Harry Potter in Azkaban. As he expected they were a perfect match. It had taken them two days to confirm that his scar was perfectly identical to the one Draco wore. A full week had passed before the Minister of Magic came to see him. Harry was surprised to find that Cornelius Fudge was still holding the position in this strange alternate reality. Still, no amount of testing, questioning or observing seemed to be getting Harry any closer to getting out of captivity.

Harry's forehead hit the table in front of him with a soft thud. His interrogator looked on with a bit of satisfaction. He knew the Harry in front of him wasn't the death eater responsible for the death of his dad, but he was willing to pretend.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Harry asked as he raised his head again. "I don't care if the wand of your Harry Potter was destroyed. The one you're holding is mine, not his. I'm willing to bet Mr. Ollivander could tell you that."

"Maybe he could if he was still alive," Wilmont said.

"I'm getting tired of answering these questions," Harry said. "I want to know when I'm getting out of here, and I want to know it right now. I haven't done anything wrong. You can't hold me forever."

"Of course we can," Wilmont said with a nasty grin. "I hear a cell is being prepared for you in Azkaban. Maybe you can have one next to yourself."

"I won't let things go that far," Harry said. "I guess I'll have to get myself out."

"Just how do you think you're going to do that?" Wilmont asked as he sat back in his chair.

"How many years have you been an interrogator with the Ministry?" Harry asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Wilmont asked in response.

"You've been pretty careless so far," Harry said as he looked Wilmont square in the eye. "No one else who questioned me brought my wand and my map into the room. Obviously I wasn't going to leave without them."

"You won't be leaving with them either, Potter," Wilmont said as he stiffened expecting Harry to try and physically attack him.

"I beg to differ," Harry said with a small grin. "You're probably thinking that the interrogation area is protected by restricting the use of magic within it. What you failed to realize is that aurors with top clearance are taught how to remove that restriction just in case it should be needed."

"You still wouldn't be able to get your wand away from me, Potter," Wilmont said as he stood and drew his own wand. "If you've truly somehow removed the restriction then my wand will work in here."  
"I never said I needed my wand," Harry said as he quickly performed a wordless and wandless spell, and Wilmont went rigid and toppled over.

Harry stood and walked around the table to retrieve his wand from Wilmont's stiff hand. A quick swipe at the table and the map was being tucked back into his pocket where it belonged. The easy part was done. Harry knew he would have to dig deep into his bag of tricks to make it out of the Ministry.

There were two guards out in the hallway. Harry used his wand to stun them before they could ask any questions. At the end of the hallway Harry entered the small chamber where another guard waited behind a glass barrier. Harry was pleased to see that there was still only one guard in the room since the disguising spell he was using could only be used against one person. From the room one door led back to the cells while the other door led out of the detention level. Without saying a word Harry walked toward the way out and the guard buzzed him through without question.

At the end of the next hallway there was an area Harry was sure would be full of aurors at that time of day. Sure enough, Harry looked around the corner carefully and saw around a dozen aurors congregating and blocking his path toward the elevators. Harry used his wand to dowse all of the lights in the area. As soon as it was pitch black, Harry rushed around the corner and placed himself among the aurors. Light sprang from wand tips all around Harry and he lit his own in response. All of the wands trained on the edges of the room looking for any sign of trouble or an attack. Having spotted none the order went out for a few of the aurors to ride up the elevator and see if the problem was a localized one. Harry joined that group and carefully positioned himself at the back of the elevator so that his face wouldn't be the first seen when the elevator doors opened. As soon as the elevator was away from the lower floor the light in the elevator came back on, but Harry had already used the imperious curse on the two aurors in front of him so that they would shield him from view of the others. The elevator stopped at the next floor and the doors opened. The aurors started filing out as they noticed the lights were on there. Suddenly they heard the elevator doors close behind them. They turned to see that three of their mates were still on it and the two in the front were acting like they didn't know why the doors had closed. Then the elevator departed as it continued on.

The elevator doors didn't open again until it had come to rest in the main atrium. The large crowd Harry expected was indeed present. As the doors opened a gasp went up from those waiting to get on the elevator as they saw Harry standing there in front of them. They calmed a bit when they noticed the two big aurors standing behind him holding on to his arms as they urged him out of the elevator. The crowd parted as they walked and Harry was almost convinced he was going to make it out without incident, but he looked up to see Draco and Ron standing directly in his path.

"What's going on?" Ron asked as they neared his position. "Where are you taking him?"

"It seems I'm to be placed under house arrest," Harry explained. "It isn't ideal, but hopefully it will be better than my stay here."

"I never heard anything about this," Draco said.

"Minister's orders," one of the aurors said.

"Where are you taking him?" Draco asked.

"My… or rather Harry Potter's parents house," Harry said. "Can you believe that? The least the Ministry could do is get me a room at the Leaky Cauldron."

Draco considered it all very carefully before he said, "You'll have to wait until I check this out for myself."

Harry grunted and said, "Fine, go ahead. I'll wait here."

"You can go back to the detention level and wait," Draco said.

"I'm not going back there just because you say to," Harry said. I'm ready to go now."

"Take him back to his cell and stay with him until I come to get you," Draco said to the two aurors, but they made no move to obey his order.

Harry knew it was coming. He already had his wand drawn as Draco was reaching for his. Harry hit Ron with a quick stunning spell to keep him out of it as he trained his wand on Draco just in time to defend against a rather nasty hex.

"I don't want to fight you, Draco," Harry said as he defended against another attack and people all around them ran for cover. "I just want to get back home."

"This isn't the way to do it," Draco said as he tried to slip a subtle spell past Harry without success.

"The other way wasn't working so well for me either," Harry said. "One way or the other I'm leaving here today."

"Do you have the coin?" Draco asked.

"I didn't have time to stop and get it," Harry admitted as he produced a shield that flared into brilliant color when Draco's spell impacted on it. "I'll have to come back for it."

Harry began a flurry of high impact, yet non-lethal spells designed to push Draco backwards as he defended them. Harry was pleased to see that Draco was forced to step back as he defended against each one of them. This Draco was a much better duelist than the one he knew, but Harry wondered if he or Draco were holding back more of their full dueling ability.

"You certainly have a different spell selection than I'm used to with my Harry Potter," Draco said as Harry gave him a moment to breathe and he used that opportunity to send a battering spell at Harry.

"I was just thinking the same about you," Harry said as he deflected the spell off against a column and bits of it fell to the floor. "This is stupid you know? We both fought and defeated Voldemort. It would be a real shame if we had to kill each other."

"It would, wouldn't it," Draco said as he shot another hex at Harry. "Still, I have a job to do."

"I have a job to get back to," Harry said. "I have a family I'd like to see again."

It was Harry's turn to sidestep and then begin stepping backwards from the barrage of spells Draco began raining down on him. Harry noticed a bit more force used in these over his previous ones.

"You'll have to forgive me," Draco said. "The family thing is a bit sensitive for me now that I've read your statements about it."

"Oh don't tell me…" Harry said.

"I married Ginny Weasley," Draco admitted.

"I asked you not to tell me," Harry said as he unleashed a series of spells Draco almost wasn't ready for as space was created between them.

Draco heard the sound of aurors rushing toward them as a flash temporarily blinded him. Out of instinct he raised a shield, but nothing impacted it as he squinted to make out the shape of someone sliding into the exit floo system.

Once outside the Ministry, Harry wasted no time before apparating to the shrieking shack. Having gone there before without the aurors following seemed to assure that it was not a place they thought to look for him. It wasn't the most comfortable place to be, but it was safe and gave Harry a chance to plan his next move.

By midnight Harry had emerged from the tunnel under the whomping willow once again. He wasn't going to seek out Professor McGonagall this time. Instead he angled toward the owlery. It seemed the best place to send a covert message.

Harry tied the prewritten message to the leg of the owl and sent it on its way. He didn't even know if it would reach the person he was trying to send it to. Even if it did he wasn't sure how his offer would be received. He could only wait and see.

Harry returned to the safety of the shrieking shack and placed defensive spells in place before he settled into a dusty chair and tried to sleep. Harry awoke to find darkness still clinging to the landscape as it waited for the first rays of morning sun to come. Harry was aware of the protest of hunger his stomach was having, and he knew that the early morning would be his only real chance to sneak into Hogsmeade and get food without an entire crowd of people seeing him.

Touching his pocket Harry could feel the coins he had appropriated from one of the aurors in the elevator, so, after checking outside carefully for unwanted visitors, Harry set out for The Hogs Head Inn. It seemed the most logical place to not encounter any more people than necessary. Just in case, and having more time to complete the more complicated spell, Harry placed a disguising charm on himself that anyone who saw him would see as his good friend from the interrogation room, Wilmont.

Harry walked into the door of the Hog's Head without incident. Only the barman was present, and Harry took notice that it was not Aberforth Dumbledore. Harry ordered his food, but talked as little as possible. That was something the barman didn't seem to mind. Harry picked a table in the darkest corner he could find and waited for his food to arrive.

As first light was just beginning to filter in through the windows, Harry was standing at the bar paying for the food he had eaten and the food he had ordered to take with him. He stiffened slightly as the front door creaked open. Turning his head he spotted a man enter looking equally uncomfortable that someone was there to see him. The stranger shut the door and moved quickly to a table still in the shadows of the room. Harry gathered his things and left without turning to look at the new arrival.

Harry had taken no more than ten steps from the Hog's Head when the owl he had sent out the night before landed in front of him with a message tied to its leg. He quickly removed the message and read it. It was the response to his earlier message. He was pleased to see that it was received positively. Upon reading the message he knew exactly who the stranger in the Hog's Head must have been. The message said he wanted to meet Harry there.

Not wanting to take a chance on a face to face meeting, Harry quickly jotted a response stating exactly what it was he wanted stolen and where it could be found. He included the timetable of two days to get the portkey back. After that he would have to venture out for more food again. After assuring him of a substantial payment, Harry used his wand to place a picture of the dark mark where his signature would normally be.

Harry went back to the shrieking shack to wait for another communication. He awoke on the second day to the sound of an owl hooting just outside one of the broken windows. Harry surveyed the area outside carefully before letting the owl in. The message carried by the owl told him that Livingston had been successful in acquiring the requested object. Harry didn't dismiss the possibility that Livingston had been captured and told the aurors what he was sent after. It wouldn't take Draco long to guess that Harry was the one who had commissioned the robbery. Harry decided to check as deeply as he dared into that possibility.

Disguising himself once again, Harry walked as casually as possible into Hogsmeade. He knew that the first delivery of the Prophet was always made to the Three Broomsticks, and he caught the delivery boy just after he dropped them off and bought a paper from him. Harry tucked the paper under his arm and continued walking up the street so as not to arouse suspicion by turning around and leaving too quickly. Harry paused at some of the windows of shops not yet open as he pretended to look at their displays. After doing so for several minutes he ducked casually into an alley and disapparated back to the shrieking shack.

Harry opened the paper and scanned the front page before finding a small article on the bottom left side reporting a theft from the Ministry. In it the Ministry claimed not to know the identity of the thief. He knew that even that could be a ruse designed to draw him out in the open. If it was, then it was going to work. Harry knew he had to take the chance despite his reservations.

Harry disguised himself once again for yet another trip into Hogsmeade. Not wanting to repeat his earlier disguises, he instead chose the image of a man he had once met on a trip to France. He thought that would assure that no one on the street would recognize him and stop him to talk.

Harry apparated into the same alley he had left from earlier and walked out onto the street as casually as he could. A man was standing at the entrance to the alley and turned to look at Harry for a moment. Harry smiled and nodded to the man in a passing greeting as he walked by. It was plain to see that the aurors were in Hogsmeade. Harry recognized the man he had passed as one that had been on the elevator during his escape. A few of his friends were watching the street from various other positions. Not wanting to arouse suspicion, Harry walked straight for The Three Broomsticks instead of his planned destination of the post office.

Harry opened the door of The Three Broomsticks and walked inside. He took a moment to survey the room as if it was his first time there. He had to make a believable show of it since Draco and Ron were standing at the bar talking to Madame Rosemerta. They had turned to look at him when he came in, and watched him as he walked to a table and sat down. Madame Rosemerta walked over to him and asked what she could get for him.

Harry put on his best French accent and said, "Just some Pumpkin juice and some toast."

Once the food came, Harry took his time as he spread butter onto a wedge of toast. He could see in his peripheral vision that Ron was keeping a constant eye on him, and Draco was turning to look his way occasionally. The longer it went on the more he began to think that perhaps it would have been less suspicious if he had just gone to the post office first. He had nearly finished his toast when he saw Draco and Ron begin to walk toward him.

"Morning," Draco said as he stopped at Harry's table.

"Oh, good morning," Harry said, thankful that he and Ginny had taken such a long vacation in France after they had been married.

"So, you're from France," Draco said.

"Oui," Harry responded. "I am Charles Dumaree from Avignon. Would you like to join me?"

"No, thank you," Draco replied. "I'm Draco Malfoy. This is my partner, Ron Weasley. We're aurors from the Ministry of Magic."

"Has there been some kind of trouble?" Harry asked.

"What makes you ask that?" Ron asked as he watched Harry closely.

"I saw all of those men outside on the street on my way here," Harry said. "They are with you I hope."

"They are," Draco said wishing the men outside could have been a little less conspicuous.

"Oh good," Harry said. "For a moment there my imagination got the better of me."

"Maybe you were expecting some trouble," Ron suggested.

"Inventing perhaps," Harry said, "but not expecting. It is a fault of mine. I lead such a quiet life that I sometimes imagine a bit of adventure in it to keep things interesting."

"Have you been in England long?" Draco asked.

"Only long enough to have a piece of toast and a few sips of pumpkin juice," Harry replied.

"You didn't come all the way from France to have breakfast," Ron said.

"Oh no," Harry said with a smile. "I was hoping to meet someone here."

"Is that right," Ron said as his hand inched closer to his wand. "Who were you supposed to meet?"

"Monsieur Hagrid," Harry said. "He is the gamekeeper of Hogwarts."

"I know that," Ron said. "I went to Hogwarts."

"Of course," Harry said. "I should have known that. What can you tell me about him? What sort of man is he?"

"So, you don't know Hagrid?" Draco asked.

"No," Harry said. "I sent him an owl last week to let him know that I would meet him here today."

"Why did you need to see him?" Draco asked.

"I am trying to relocate a family of Avignon Pixies," Harry said.

"We already have pixies here in England," Ron pointed out. "Nasty little buggers they are too. I don't think we need any more."

"Oh, no, Monsieur Weasley," Harry said. "The pixies of Avignon are a domesticated colony. Quite different from your ordinary pixies."

"Are you in the business of trading in magical creatures?" Draco asked.

"If I were then I wouldn't have to imagine the adventure in my life," Harry pointed out. "I run a small inn in Avignon. The pixies tend to the gardens in Avignon. They pick vegetables, cut grass, rake up leaves, and tend to flowers."

"That's amazing," Draco said. "Why would you want to relocate them?"

"Pixies live in tight nit family groups," Harry said. "However, when a family becomes too large for the amount of area they care for, part of the family splits off and forms a new family in a new garden. This was not a problem up until now. There is no longer a place inside the boundary of Avignon that is unkept by a family of pixies. For some reason they are unwilling to venture outside of the wizarding section of Avignon."

"What makes you think they would be willing to relocate to Hogwarts then?" Ron asked.

"I asked them," Harry said.

"You talked to them?" Ron asked with a stunned expression.

"Of course," Harry said. "They speak French almost as well as I do."

"Well it certainly seems like something Hagrid would be interested in," Draco said. "When was he supposed to meet you?"

"I wrote to him and said I would be here early this morning," Harry explained. "I never received a response though. I don't even know if he got the message at all. It wouldn't be the first time my owl didn't deliver a message to the right person. He's very old and tends to get a bit confused."

"Well I hope you didn't come all this way in vain," Draco said.

"Oh, no," Harry said. "It was hardly in vain. Not when I was fortunate enough to actually speak with the famous Draco Malfoy, and you as well of course, Monsieur Weasley."

"I'm used to it," Ron said as his hand relaxed.

"Well, we won't take up any more of your time," Draco said. "I hope Hagrid does come to meet you."

"Thank you, Monsieur Malfoy," Harry said. "If he does not come then I will send him another message. This time I will use an owl from the post office here. I have a feeling their owls are more dependable than mine."

Harry watched the door close after Draco and Ron had left, and he let out a deep breath. He wasn't feeling relief because he had made it through such a long conversation without giving himself away. He felt relief because he had successfully defended against Draco's subtle attempts to perform covert spells designed to strip away any disguise he might have been using. He had to hand it to Draco though. It was a brilliant maneuver to get him into a conversation where he would have to do most of the talking. That gave ample time for Draco to silently launch his attacks, and it gave Harry precious few seconds to defend against them.

Forcing himself to take things slowly, Harry sipped his pumpkin juice until it was gone. Then he had it refilled and continued to sip it slowly. By the time the second round was empty he was already making a show of getting restless. Walking to the bar he paid for his order and thanked Madame Rosmerta.

Harry walked out of The Three Broomsticks and found the street outside clear of the aurors. He had no doubt that there were still a couple around and a bit more hidden than before. He didn't see them though as he walked to the post office.

Having sent his message, Harry walked back out onto the street and disapparated back to the shrieking shack once again. He tried to nap in the afternoon as he waited for his evening meeting with Livingston, but the prospect of getting back to the world he knew filled his mind too much for rest to be possible. Instead he paced around checking outside every few minutes to assure that Draco and Ron had not followed him.

At ten minutes past eight Harry conjured a dark heavy cloak and wrapped it around himself. The hood was then pulled over his head to completely obscure his face from all but the most determined observer. Taking a deep breath, he disapparated.

When he reappeared Harry immediately stepped forward and pushed at the door in front of him. The interior of Borgin and Burke's was as dimly lit as Harry remembered, but a quick glance around was enough to tell him that Livingston had not yet arrived. Borgin walked out from the back and stopped to look at the cloaked man in his shop. Such a thing was not an infrequent occurrence.

"Is there something I can help you find?" Borgin asked.

"I'm meeting someone here," Harry replied without turning to look at him.

"This isn't a meeting house," Borgin informed him. "This is a shop, so you can leave if you're not buying anything."

"This is death eater business, Borgin," Harry said as he felt Borgin tense. "It would be… unfortunate… if you were to interfere."

"That voice…" Borgin said as the door opened and another cloaked figure walked inside.

The new arrival stopped in the door momentarily as he sized up the two men in the shop. Borgin he knew. The other man…

"You're late, Livingston," Harry said with a touch of irritation in his voice.

"You must have me confused with someone else," Livingston said as he stepped the rest of the way in the shop and the door closed behind him.

"I don't have time for games, Livingston," Harry said. "Do you have the item or don't you?"

"You have me at a loss, sir," Livinston said.

Harry slowly lowered his hood and looked up to see shocked recognition on Livingston's face even as he heard a gasp from Borgin behind him.

Harry began stepping closer to Livingston as he said, "Do you have what I asked for, or have you failed me?"

"I… No, I have it," Livingston said as Harry stopped closer to him than he was comfortable with.

When Livingston stood frozen and didn't move, Harry said, "It wouldn't be wise to keep me waiting, Livingston. Let me see it."

Livingston pulled a small wooden box from his cloak with a shaking hand. He used his other hand to lift the lid from the box and reveal a green glowing coin inside. It was inches away. All Harry had to do was reach out to touch it and he would be away from this crazy world.

Snapping the box shut, Livingston said, "I trust you find the item satisfactory. I believe a payment was promised."

"That's right," Harry said. "As you may imagine given my most recent… living conditions, I don't have such a sum like that on my person."

"I don't render my services on credit," Livingston said as Harry shot him an icy look and he shriveled slightly.

"Nor should you make a habit of insulting me," Harry said. "I have more than enough in my vault at Gringotts to pay you everything you are owed."

"I assume you'll get the money and meet me back here tomorrow then," Livingston suggested.

"That coin will not leave my presence again," Harry said as he took a step closer to Livingston. "You will accompany me to Gringotts. You will get your money. I will get the coin."

Warning bells were ringing inside of Livingston's head. He quickly decided that a tactical retreat was in order. He attempted to disapparate, but it didn't work. He watched as a sly grin crept onto Harry's face.

"Did you really think I would leave you such an obvious option?" Harry said. "I cast a spell to bar you from leaving before you ever even arrived. There are only two ways you will be leaving here today. Your first option is to walk out with me and accompany me to Gringotts. The other option… well, I would advise you take the first."

"Why can't I simply wait here while you get the money?" Livingston asked. "Why should I risk being seen with you?"

"Because I have doubts about you, Livingston," Harry said. "The amount of time I gave you to steal the coin was unreasonable, yet here you stand with it conveniently in your possession."

"I'm very good at what I do," Livingston boasted.

"Or perhaps you were caught trying to steal it," Harry suggested. "Maybe you made a deal with the aurors. Maybe you agreed to help them capture me."

"You're just being paranoid," Livingston said.

"I'm being careful," Harry said. "I don't plan on making a return visit to Azkaban."

"I've never been to Azkaban, and I don't plan to go," Livingston said. "Walking through Diagon Alley with you is a sure way to earn being sent there."

"Walking through Diagon Alley with me is the only way you can prove to me that I can trust you," Harry said. "Prove your worthiness to me now and it will be… profitable for you in the future."

Livingston surveyed Harry appraisingly, and asked, "Why is this coin so important to you? What does it do?"

"It is the key to regaining everything that is rightfully mine," Harry replied.

Livingston sighed as Harry failed to elaborate further. Sensing that he had no other reasonable choice, he turned and walked toward the door as Harry followed him closely. They didn't stop until they came to the entrance to Diagon Alley. He looked back at Harry expecting him to use a disguising spell, but he watched as Harry simply pulled his hood back up to hide his face within it.

A nudge on the back of his shoulder told Livingston he was apparently to precede Harry in entering Diagon Alley. Livingston walked forward as casually as he could thankful for the light traffic in Diagon Alley at that late hour. In only a few steps he saw Harry pull even with him on his left side. He briefly thought about the possibility of suddenly shoving Harry aside; giving him the precious seconds necessary to escape. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind then he saw Harry turn his head toward him. He knew in that instant that escape was no longer an option.

They walked in silence. It was a fact that neither of them minded. The joke shop lay several meters ahead of them, and after that, Gringotts. Harry was still unsure of what he would do once he got there. Chances that the Goblins would open his vault for him without his key were slim. Then again, he wasn't sure if the Harry Potter he was impersonating even had a vault. One way or the other, he didn't intend to let Livingston get away even after he had the coin in his possession. He was reviewing his plans when he saw it.

Harry's feet stopped moving of their own accord. Livingston stopped and looked back at him after a couple more steps. He was looking at the joke shop where Draco Malfoy was walking out the door with Ginny on his arm. Livingston looked back to Harry and could see his chest rising and falling rapidly as his hands curled into tight fists with a loud crack of the knuckles.

Draco looked up and spotted a hooded figure thirty meters away looking in his direction. The man standing with him looked nervous as he looked back and forth between them. Draco came to a stop.

"What is it, Draco?" Ginny asked.

"Get back into the shop, Ginny," Draco said not taking his eyes off of the hooded man.

Ginny knew from experience that Draco would never say such a thing unless he thought she might be in danger. She quickly turned and walked back into the joke shop.

As soon as the door to the shop closed, Livingston took off in a run away from Harry. Harry's wand dropped from his sleeve into his right hand and he petrified Livingston and caused him to fall stiffly between he and Draco. Harry immediately raised a shield to counter the spell Draco had already sent at him.

When a counter attack wasn't launched, Draco asked, "Is that you, Potter?"

Harry responded by lowering his hood. The two stood looking at one another attempting to guess the other's next move.

"I didn't expect to see you again," Draco said. "After you stole the coin I thought you would have used it to get back to where you came from."

"Believe me," Harry said, "nothing would have made me happier. I didn't steal the coin though."

Draco looked to the man lying on the ground in front of him and he said, "Of course. You had someone steal it for you. That was why none of the traps were set off. They were only designed to work if you tried to take the coin."

"I had a feeling that would be the case," Harry confirmed. "I had Livingston do it for me."

Draco pointed to the man on the ground and asked, "Livingston?"

"Yes," Harry replied. "He's using a disguising spell, but it's him."

Draco studied Harry for a few seconds before he said, "Livingston wouldn't have taken the chance at being seen in public with you."

"I don't have time to relate the entire story to you," Harry said. "Consider him a gift. You can have him. I just want the coin."

"You don't have it?" Draco asked. "If you don't then…"

Harry and Draco's hands were in motion quickly as they both attempted to summon the coin from Livingston. It sprang out of his pocket, but floated in the air being pulled in opposite directions as the two fought for dominance. Harry's wand was in motion immediately as he hoped the spell he fired at Draco would make him surrender his hold on the box. Instead, Draco deflected Harry's spell and sent out a hex of his own. Harry countered it, and the two began an exchange of spells that didn't seem to get either of them closer to their goals.

The few other patrons in the alley scurried for cover soon after the battle began. Harry and Draco had the area all to themselves for whatever havoc may ensue, but those observing from the windows could see that the battle didn't live up to their expectations. After all, an auror attempting to subdue a dangerous criminal had a plethora of powerful and effective spells at his disposal, but Draco seemed to be hesitant to use them. Likewise, the Potters were all known for their use of dark spells designed to torture and kill, yet Harry used nothing more threatening than a stunning spell or the mildest of hexes. Not everyone was so content to sit by and watch though.

Harry saw it even before Draco knew. The door to the joke shop opened and George ran out with his wand already half way through a spell that Harry had to work quickly to defend against in addition to Draco's. Harry's concentration snapped though when he looked up and watched Fred run out of the shop behind George. Harry saw the spell coming toward him, but his mind was too preoccupied to formulate an appropriate defense. Fred's spell hit Harry in the chest and sent him flying backwards. Harry hit the ground hard on his back.

Harry knew the fight was going to have to become more serious. The box containing the coin was firmly in Draco's hand because of Harry's lack of concentration. Harry couldn't afford to let him keep it.

Harry quickly maneuvered to a crouching position and brought his wand up. He was just in time as the spells from Fred and George impacted on his shield simultaneously. Harry performed a dusting charm and created a large dust cloud that rolled over Fred, George, and Draco, and effectively shielded Harry from their view. Regaining his feet, he wasted no time in changing his location. He was sure that one of them would likely shoot off a blind spell in the general direction where he had previously stood.

Harry watched as the dust cloud began to clear. He could just make out the outlines as the three of them stood together. He didn't want to fight them, but he needed that coin.

Harry was still considering his options when he heard a sound behind him as if someone had just apparated. He turned to see Ron raising his wand. Ron shot off a spell that whistled past Harry and impacted on a shield Draco had produced.

"Harry," Ron said as he rushed to Harry's side still aiming his wand at Draco, "Are you alright?"

"Ron?" Harry asked. "How… I don't…"

"What in bloody hell is going on?" Ron asked as Fred and George became visible through the dust. "It can't be."

"It's a bit complicated, Ron," Harry said as Draco walked closer to them as Fred and George followed.

"Have we gone back in time?" Ron asked.

"Some kind of parallel dimension I think," Harry replied. "I wouldn't try to kill Draco here. He's an auror."

"An auror?" Ron asked. "What kind of barmy place is this? How can Fred be…"

"It's a long story," Harry said as Draco came to a stop a safe distance away as Fred and George walked to his side.

"Ron," Fred said as he kept his wand trained on Harry, "you git. What are you playing at?"

"I don't think this is your brother, Fred," Draco said as he slowly lowered his wand and Harry did the same. "What is my son's name, Ron?"

"Scorpius," Ron replied unable to take his eyes off of Fred.

"Just as I thought," Draco said. "You don't belong here any more than Harry does."

"I came to take Harry back with me," Ron supplied.

"How did you get here, mate?" Harry asked.

"It turns out there were two of those coins in the Department of Mysteries," Ron said with a grin. "After you disappeared, I went back to the Ministry with Livingston. Then I went to the Department of Mysteries to ask them about that coin. I had to twist a few arms, but eventually they told me what they knew."

"I was trying to get the coin that brought me here back so I could get home," Harry said. "The Ministry here doesn't seem to want to give it to me though."

"It wouldn't have done you any good," Ron said. "It wouldn't have worked for you a second time."

"I wish I had known that sooner," Harry said. "It would have saved me a lot of time planning to steal it back."

"If they only work one time then you're stuck here now too though," Draco observed.

"Wrong Malfoy," Ron said. "The coin only works for the same person once in a row. That was why there was a pair of coins. A person could use one to get here, and the other to get back home."

"Not a very efficient system," George observed.

"If you lost one the other would be useless," Fred agreed.

A large smile spread over Ron's face as he looked at the twins and said, "I've missed that."

"What?" George asked.

"Seeing the two of you theorize over how to improve something," Ron said. "I'd love to see what you've come up with lately."

"What exactly is going on here, Draco?" George asked. "You say this isn't my brother, but it seems like Ron. Harry Potter is standing here with his wand at his side instead of trying to kill us all. Has the world gone mad, or am I just dreaming this?"

"I know exactly how you feel," Harry said. "Imagine how confused I was when I first got here."

"We need to get off the street," Draco said as he looked around at the faces peering from the shops. "Go into the joke shop and wait for me. I'll take Livingston and the coin back to the Ministry. Then I'll come back and we can sort this whole thing out."

"Seriously?" Fred asked. "You want us to take Harry Potter into our shop?"

"I'd hand over my wand to you," Harry said, "but things didn't go so well the last time I did that."

"You have to trust me, Fred," Draco said.

Fred and George looked at each other and smiled before they both said, "All right then."

"Follow us," George said as he and Fred turned and started walking toward their shop.

Draco collected Livingston and apparated away. Fred opened the door to his shop and Harry and Ron followed him inside. Harry stopped suddenly a few steps into the shop and Ron nearly ran into him before stopping himself.

"Are the three of you mad?" Ginny asked as she raised her wand toward Harry.

"Draco told us to bring him in here," Fred informed her.

"It gets even stranger though," George said with a knowing grin. "You wouldn't guess it, but apparently this isn't Ron."

"At least not the one we all know," Fred clarified.

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked not lowering her wand.

"Don't ask me," Fred said. "They were talking about some kind of coins that transport people one way. Draco said he would explain it when he got back."

"So, why is it that you all seem to hate Harry so much here?" Ron asked.

"Why is it that you don't?" Ginny asked.

"Because he's saved my life more times than I can count," Ron replied. "He's been my best friend since the day I met him, and he's married to…"

"Don't, Ron!" Harry said sadly. "Please don't say that right now."

"But, Harry, she…" Ron began.

"Please, Ron," Harry said as he held his wand out and allowed Fred to take it from him.

They watched as Harry turned and walked down one of the isles pretending to seem interested in the merchandise on the shelves. Ron decided it was likely best if he did the same.

"So, Ron," Fred said quietly as he walked close to where Ron was looking, "what exactly did you mean earlier?"

"About what?" Ron asked.

"About not getting to watch George and I plan things," Fred said.

"Oh," Ron said uncomfortably. "I'm not sure I should tell you."

"Which only makes us want to know more, of course," George said with a grin.

"Come on, Ron," Fred urged. "Out with it."

"Maybe he was sent away for chronic git-ness," George teased.

"Or maybe…" Fred said.

"You died," Ron said sorrowfully as he turned to look at Fred.

The twins stood there speechless as they stared back at Ron. George turned to look at Fred as he tried to imagine what life would be like without him. An icy feeling seemed to stab at his heart even though, for him, it was an imaginary situation.

"How?" Fred finally asked.

"At the battle of Hogwarts," Ron said.

"Really?" Fred asked curiously. "I narrowly missed being hit when a wall exploded beside me."

"My brother wasn't so lucky," Ron said. "A lot of people weren't as lucky that day. It would have been even worse if Harry hadn't been there to defeat Voldemort."

"What did you say?" Ginny asked angrily as she walked closer. "Draco was the one who killed Voldemort."

"Are you serious?" Ron asked. "Malfoy was a death eater."

"Not here, he wasn't," Harry said not looking at them.

Ginny walked quickly over to Harry and grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. She reached up with her hand and brushed aside the hair on his forehead. She gasped as she stepped back from him.

"It can't be," Ginny said.

A loud pop signaled the arrival of another person as Ron suddenly appeared out of nowhere behind Harry, and, raising his wand, said, "Don't move, Potter."

"I'd lower my wand… if I were you," Ron said as he pointed his wand at the back of the new arrival.

Ron turned to see his own image staring back at him over the tip of a wand. He glanced back at Harry, but he hadn't even turned around, so he turned to look back into Ron's eyes.

"Wow," George said. "If things weren't weird before then they certainly are now."

"You can't point your wand at an auror here and not expect trouble," Ron warned.

"I agree," Ron said. "I suggest you lower your wand. Harry and I are aurors too. Besides, I don't think Fred and George want us to wreck their shop."

"Just relax, Ron," Ginny said, still keeping her distance from Harry. "He's already surrendered his wand."

"That doesn't make him any less dangerous," Ron warned, "especially now that he seems to have company."

"I just came to take him back with me," Ron said.

"Maybe he won't be going back," Ron said as he kept his wand aimed at Harry. "He broke out of the Ministry. I'm sure the Minister would like to get him back."

Ron grinned before openly laughing and said, "You have to be kidding. You tried to imprison Harry in your Ministry? You really didn't have any idea of who you were dealing with, did you?"

"We were attempting to verify his identity," Ron said.

"You did that fairly early on," Harry said with a touch of resentment. "I never should have surrendered my wand."

"You've done it easily enough tonight," Ron commented.

"I did that for my wife, you git!" Harry said as his voice rose slightly. "I mean…"

"She isn't your wife, Potter!" Ron said as he pointed at Ginny.

"Do you think I don't know that?" Harry asked. "As I looked at her I heard the sound of my wife's voice in my head. Surrendering my wand is what she would have wanted me to do."

They stood and stared at one another until Ginny walked between them and said, "Lower your wand, Ron. Both of you. Someone better start explaining what is going on. How can there be two of you? Why does Harry Potter have a scar identical to Draco? Why does he think of his wife when he looks at me? Start talking, Ron."

"Draco thinks he came from some kind of parallel dimension," Ron explained as he lowered his wand slowly. "He certainly spun quite a fantastic tale while he was at the Ministry. They verified that the Potter we all know is still in Azkaban, but this one matches him physically in every way other than that scar."

"Did you say that your Draco has a scar like Harry's?" Ron asked

"His history and mine are so similar it's a bit scary," Harry said. "Voldemort killed his parents and gave him that scar the same way he did to me."

"Your parents weren't death eaters then?" Fred asked.

"No," Harry explained. "They were in the Order of the Phoenix. They fought against the death eaters."

"Never mind the fact that this Order he talks about was formed by Albus Dumbledore," Ron said.

"So what?" Ron asked. "How is that a bad thing?"

"This isn't going to get us anywhere," Harry said. "We're wasting time."

"What's your hurry, Potter?" Ron asked.

"It won't hurt anything to stay a bit longer, Harry," Ron said as he gestured toward Fred.

"That isn't your brother, Ron," Harry reasoned, though he could see it was falling on deaf ears.

"He's as close as I'll ever get to having him back though," Ron explained. "Let me enjoy it a bit,"

"Another brother, eh George?" Fred said with a smile.

"Just what we needed, Fred," George joked.

"Well, if you're taking me then you can take Harry too," Ron said. "He's my brother-in-law."

Ginny's eyes widened in shock as she turned to look at Harry. He was already looking at the ground shaking his head slightly. She could see his jaw tensing, and she marveled at how very different this Harry Potter was.

A pop signified Draco's arrival as he said, "I'm glad to see things haven't gotten out of hand here. I have to admit I was a bit afraid when Ron disapparated like that after I told him you were here."

"Let me know when you're ready to go, Ron," Harry said as he turned and walked away from them all.

Draco watched Harry as he walked away, and he asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"A bit of family trouble I think," Fred suggested as he looked at Ginny.

"The new Ron let it slip that Harry is apparently married to Ginny," George clarified.

"I see," Draco said as Ginny noticed his jaw clenching as well.

"He misses her," Ron explained. "Harry is… very attached to his family. He didn't have one growing up, so he really cherishes the time he spends with Ginny and his kids. It nearly drives him mad to spend two days away from Ginny when we're on an assignment. I'm sure the time he's spent here hasn't been easy on him. I know it hasn't been for Ginny."

"How many?" Ginny asked. "How many kids does he have?"

"Three," Ron replied. "Two boys and a girl. They're all at Hogwarts now. Lily was just sorted into Gryffindor a few weeks ago. Ginny hasn't told them about Harry being missing, but they probably suspect something is wrong. Harry usually sends them an owl every few days."

"It sounds like someone else I know," Ginny said as she glanced at Draco.

Ron caught the look and said, "Hold on. Do you mean to say that you're married to Draco Malfoy?"

"Yes," Ginny confirmed.

"Weird," Ron said with a grin.

"Your version was weird to the rest of us," Ron commented.

"I didn't mean it like that," Ron said. "I was saying it was weird that your Draco is married to your Ginny while my Draco and I are facing the uncomfortable possibility of becoming in-laws. My daughter started dating his son last school year. I guess we can't seem to keep our families apart in either dimension."

"At least you got to have a kid," Ron said scornfully.

"Don't tell me," Ron said. "You never told her I guess. Maybe there's still time."

"Shut up, you git!" Ron shouted. "Take your precious Harry Potter and get out of here!"

"Take it easy, Ron," Draco said as he stepped between them and placed his hand on Ron's shoulder. "He wouldn't have said anything if he had known."

"Known what?" Ron asked.

"I'm going to take a walk," Ron said, the tension still evident in his voice. "Hopefully they'll be gone when I get back."

They watched as Ron turned and walked for the door. They discovered just how angry he was by the force he used when he slammed the door after him.

"Was it something I said?" Ron asked.

"They were in love," Ginny said as she watched Ron walk away from the shop. "Ron never got the chance to propose to her. Even after all these years he still won't date other women."

"Wait," Ron said holding his hand up with a suspicious look on his face. "You left something out. Why didn't he propose to her? Where is she?"

Ginny hesitated as she looked into the eyes of the man who was so like her brother, and wondered if his reaction to the story would also be similar as she said, "She was killed by… by a death eater."

Ron's face suddenly went deathly pale as his breathing seemed to stop as his mouth opened, but no sound issued from it. He reached into his pocket and grasped firmly to the object there. In his eyes Ginny saw a familiar fire burning. It was anger, and she knew that he was indeed very much like her own brother.

"Hermione," Ron said softly. "Hermione is…"

"Your Hermione isn't," Draco reminded him. "She's still waiting at home for you."

"Did you catch him?" Ron asked as if he hadn't heard Draco at all. "The death eater; did you catch him?"

"Draco caught him," Ginny said.

"Did you kill him?" Ron asked anxiously.

"No," Draco said. "I wanted to though."

"I know how you feel," Ron said.

"Somehow I doubt that," George said seriously. "If you knew how we feel you would understand why we were fighting in the street tonight."

"You were attacking Harry," Ron pointed out.

"Exactly," Fred confirmed. "That was why you were fighting us."

"We were fighting Harry," George said.

Ron looked quizzically from one of them to another as their implication began to sink in, and he said, "No. Surely that isn't possible. Harry would never…"

"Not your Harry," Draco said. "Our Harry is in Azkaban for killing several people. Hermione was among them. His parents are there with him as well. Evil to the core the lot of them."

"That was why we were fighting Harry tonight," Fred said. "We thought he was our Harry."

"Wait," Ginny said as a thought occurred to her as she turned to Draco. "You knew before tonight that he wasn't the Harry Potter we all know?"

"Yes," Draco admitted.

"Then why were you attacking him?" Ginny asked in an accusatory voice. "It's plainly obvious that he isn't dangerous."

"The minister ordered that he be held in custody," Draco explained. "He broke out, and shortly after that the coin that brought him here disappeared from the Ministry as well. I took it back from him tonight and returned it to the Ministry."

Ginny placed her hands on her hips and stared at Draco as if she were waiting for him to realize on his own the truth of the situation. Fred and George noticed the look well before Draco did, and they took a couple of steps backwards. Knowing Ginny's temper, they weren't sure if standing too close was a wise thing.

"So you imprisoned a man who hadn't broken any laws," Ginny explained. "Then you stole his personal property from him and refused to give it back."

"I think you're looking at this all wrong, Ginny," Draco reasoned.

"Am I?" Ginny asked. "What would you have done in his place? How would you have felt?"

"How I would or wouldn't feel about it isn't the point," Draco attempted to point out.

"Stop talking Draco," Ginny ordered, holding her hand up between them. "I don't want to know just how typically male you really are right now."

Without another word, Ginny swiped the wand Fred was still holding away from him. As she turned away from them she leveled glares are her brothers that they knew better than to question. She walked to the back corner of the shop where Harry was facing away from them and stopped just short of him; unsure of how to open a conversation.

"Even the sound of your footsteps is the same," Harry said softly as he continued looking away from her. "The sooner we leave the better."

"I think Ron may not be quite ready yet," Ginny said as she looked back and saw Ron chatting excitedly with Fred.

"I was afraid of that," Harry said.

"I wanted to apologize," Ginny said as she stepped closer. "It was such a shock for me to see you that I…"

"I know how you feel," Harry said.

"I have your wand," Ginny said. "I wanted you to have it back."

Harry turned to face her as he reached out and she placed his wand gently into his hand. Harry closed his hand to grip his wand and momentarily felt the mild pressure Ginny had been using to hold it before she removed her hand completely.

"Thanks," Harry said without looking her in the eye.

"If I had known the full story earlier I would have let you keep it," Ginny said.

"I know," Harry said as a slight grin appeared on his face even though he still refused to look at Ginny. "I know so much about you, but I don't really know you at all."

"Somehow, I think I may be able to say the same thing," Ginny said.

A silence fell between them that grew more awkward with every second that ticked by. Ginny began to wonder if she had inadvertently hurt Harry with her words. It could also be the simple fact of her presence near him that disturbed him. She wondered if it would be better to leave him to his thoughts.

"Is he good to you?" Harry asked suddenly. "Does he make you happy?"

Ginny looked up to see Harry looking at het at last, and she said, "Yes, Harry. We're very happy together. From what little I know, I would say that our relationship is very similar to your relationship with your Ginny."

"Then I'm happy for you," Harry said.

"Thank you," Ginny said as she tried to gage Harry's mood. "Ron mentioned that the Draco you know has a son at Hogwarts. I'm guessing that he isn't in Azkaban."

"No," Harry confirmed. "His life doesn't mirror the life of your Harry that closely. He and his parents were death eaters, but they didn't fight in the final battle. I don't think Draco ever actually killed anyone. He works at the Ministry with us in the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

"It's amazing how different some things are," Ginny commented.

"I think it's amazing that so many things are the same," Harry said. "None of the Weasleys seem any different in this reality. Then there's Draco. I used to think I was… unique."

"You still are," Ginny commented.

"Unless there is yet another reality out there where the Harry Potter is exactly like me," Harry explained.

"At least none of them have arrived here yet," Draco said as he walked nearer to them. "We can only hope that those two coins are the only ones in existence."

"I have to think the chances of that are slim," Harry commented. "Given the possibility of an endless array of realities; the existence of another set of coins is infinitely probable."

"And substantially dangerous," Draco said. "Suppose there is a reality where Voldemort won the war; what if he finds a coin and comes here?"

Harry looked at Draco, and a grin spread across his face as he said, "You won't have to fight him alone this time. Use the coin to come and warn me. I'll fight him with you."

"Thanks, Harry," Draco said with a grin of his own. "You know the same goes for me."

"Let's hope it never comes to that," Ginny said. "Neither of you should have to face something like that again. Then again, only the two of you would even think to consider such a possibility."

Harry looked over to where Ron had been before, and, not seeing him, began to scan the shop. Ron was nowhere to be seen. Draco turned and followed Harry's gaze.

"If you're looking for Ron he's gone in the back with Fred and George," Draco said.

"That could be dangerous," Harry said with a grin. "He may never want to leave once he starts looking at the things they likely have back there."

"I don't know if anything we say is going to speed it along any," Draco said. "Knowing Ron the way I do we may just have to let it run its course."

A few minutes later, Ron emerged with a huge smile on his face followed by Fred and George. Harry had to fight the urge to make Ron turn out his pockets. He was sure he would be leaving with more than he came with.

"All right there, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Fantastic, mate," Ron replied as he held up what looked like a small hand mirror. "This mirror is used for communicating. It has a mate that it connects to. Fred and George are going to keep one here while I take this one back with us."

"Will it still work?" Draco asked.

"We don't see why not," Fred replied.

"We haven't found anything in this world that will block their connection," George said. "We won't know if it works across realities until we try it."

"If it works," Ron said, "I'm going to give it to George."

Harry looked at Fred and asked, "Are you sure you're ready for that? You can be assured he'll want to talk to you every day. I doubt he'll let that mirror leave his sight."

"Are you kidding?" Fred asked. "The only thing better than one George is two Georges. Besides, think of how many new ideas we'll be able to come up with between the three of us."

"That thought actually scares me a little," Ginny said, though her face betrayed no sign of real fear.

"Does this mean you're ready to go now, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Almost," Ron responded as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of intertwined silver rings. "Hermione gave this to me just before Harry and I left for our first assignments after becoming aurors. She told me to keep it as a reminder that no matter what happened we would always find our way back to one another. I want Ron to have it. I know Hermione would feel the same way."

Ron handed the rings to Ginny, and she took them and said, "I'll see that he gets them."

"I'm ready, mate," Ron said as he pulled the green glowing coin out of his pocket. "We had better get this over with."

Harry grasped Ron's upper arm and stuck his other hand under Ron's hand holding the coin. Harry looked up and gave a nod to Draco, and Draco grinned and nodded back. Ron turned his hand and the coin fell toward Harry's open palm. They disappeared the instant it made contact with the skin.

Popping back into reality was just as disorienting as Harry remembered, but his mind adjusted quickly as Ginny ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. Hermione was giving Ron much the same treatment. George welcomed them back, but it was several seconds before Ron remembered what he was carrying. Ron looked into the mirror and smiled.

Turning to Harry, Ron asked, "Do you think we should explain this first?"

"Just give it to him," Harry said with a wide smile. "They'll explain it."

Ron handed the mirror to George as he turned it around and saw himself smiling back.

"Hi, George," George said. "I have someone here who really wants to talk to you."


End file.
